High Sierra Topix

Just a heads up to whoever might care, I'm still planning on attending this trip, will be at "the spot" thurs/friday night (wink WD), and am actually doing a bit of training for it as it'll be a quick trip. I was just there a couple years ago so the whole point of my trip is to hang with ya'll and I'll be jetting through the Sierra when I'm not doing that.

Just a heads up to whoever might care, I'm still planning on attending this trip, will be at "the spot" thurs/friday night (wink WD), and am actually doing a bit of training for it as it'll be a quick trip. I was just there a couple years ago so the whole point of my trip is to hang with ya'll and I'll be jetting through the Sierra when I'm not doing that.

Count me in! Vee Lake sounds like a beautiful spot, and I’m looking forward to the chocolate tasting. Let's make this HST Meetup a memorable one!

Hi TobyAdam,

Welcome to HST, and I am looking forward to meeting you.

Maverick and Ed,
My permit is for the 22nd. I cannot carry more than 6-7 days food so will hike out the 28th or 29th. Work has been the nightmare of the world hence I have not been in touch for a while and cancelled both my May and June trips. I will be there by hook or by crook! WD I will be touring around the area and exploring with no particular plans. I have never been there so it is all good. I plan on camping at Lou Beverly on the 24th.

Hi all. I won't make the meetup after all. I landed a series of really excellent permits in the Rockies and the Wonderland Trail (Mt. Rainier). I'm sorry to miss everyone. Happy trails.

For anyone interested in going in Bear Diversion on Monday July 22, I just cancelled my permit and the spots are showing up on recreation.gov.

As noted on my earlier post, this old guy given heavy camera weights, won't be making the trip. But can provide some useful info for those expecting to from the west routing crosscountry up the EF of Bear Creek.

From a bit east of the JMT/PCT Bear Creek stream crossing at 9570 that one does not need to cross unless one is named Maverick going to Orchid Lake, the signed Seven Gables Trail routes through easy to follow lodgepole pine forest till 9860 where signs of the path disappear and one is sure to see cairns where it climbs easy bedrock. Have marked that location with "A". Don't trust the trails shown on maps as they have always been incorrect.
Where the USGS 7.5m topo shows the top of "E" in East is where those unfamiliar lose the cairned trail I've marked "B". One cannot really lose the trail to that point because the steep ravine of the stream is just south and the canyon slope steepens north so one is on a slight bedrock bench the Caltopo MapBuilder Overlay red dots vaguely follow until the "B" where the dots become wrong. It is possible to climb higher then down at D but that old horse trail was abandoned decades ago and is overgrown and unpleasant. Instead at B climb with hands down an easy Class 2 break in the cliff band into the shady fern covered lodgepole dell that yes often has mosquitoes.

Follow use paths until reaching "C" where the canyon walls narrow and the multi path use route follows the north side of the stream. In some areas are easy medium to small sized talus and because of frequent chinquapin brush, I'd advise long pants. One could ford the creek in a few spots that is easier by late August but late July likely an effort to avoid.

Better from "C" is to stay on the north side whereupon at 10600 the gradient eases up and there are plenty of places to camp in shaded sparse trees west of L Lake. Due to cliffs into the NE end of L Lake, one must friction walk up slabs above that cliff and then dogleg south back down to the creek.
For those that stay on the north side of the stream, one is forced to recross to the south side beyond L Lake because of the 10861 dome. One can walk across a log that is not wide enough to be easy or wade the stream just below the log. Using Google Earth (GE) one can still see the log on the 9/13/2019 historical satellite image. From there one can see on GE a use path along that south side of the stream until about 10750. Note the 10861 dome blocks routes along the north side of the stream. From there, one must turn the sock shaped noname lake around the west that then routes through easy terrain back towards the stream. Most backpackers climb up through the cairned narrow gully however the terrain east where the Vee Lake stream branch spreads over bedrock is also Class 1 easy and contains many wildflowers.

From the north side of the creek, it is possible to route across the rib northeast of 10861, however one must down climb a short vertical wall all along the stream from Little Bear Lake. We always use that route after using a rope to lower our packs because we use a different route to Vee Lake that routes up friction slabs along the south side of the stream from Little Bear Lake that at 11240 turns south towards the saddle just north of the beautiful 11320+ pond. From there go northeast over the gentle saddle to another pond. In fact there is another beautiful pond with turf hummocks at the first "R" in Sierra on the topo. We've twice camped in that zone that others are unlikely to pass through because it is 150 feet above the lake haha. All the above is more obvious on GE.

Anywhere in this zone has few trees or large boulders and mid day if sunny will be unpleasantly bright. So don't expect to have mid day tent shade nor be someone that hangs out much of their day at their campsite. A less bright nearby area to hang out mid day is the lake edge meadow east of the Vee Lake north arm. In fact, that would be a more pleasant spot for those waiting for others to arrive to meet up and does have a bit of shade in the boulders. Also a fishy spot given meadow insects. Link to old 4x5 film image:

https://www.summitpost.org/seven-gables ... 8/c-216120

Thanks, Dave, for adding that description of the route.

For those coming via Italy Lake to the meetup, here is a conditions report: viewtopic.php?p=184360#p184360